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Air Rifle for Deer Hunting

38K views 35 replies 27 participants last post by  hillestadj 
#1 ·
This is from the Missouri Conservationist magazine.

**Starting this fall, firearms deer hunters will be able to use air-powered guns, .40 caliber or larger, charged only from an external high compression power source (external hand pump, air tank or air compressor). This change was the result of a suggestion from the public. Before it was passed, staff members tested large bore air rifles powered by compressed air and found them suitable for hunting deer.**

Just curious to hear everyones thoughts. I did not know that air rifles like this exsisted.

Quick google search found this - http://www.airgunsbbguns.com/Career_Dragon_Slayer_Air_Rifle_50_cal_p/shin-sung-career-dragon-50.htm
 
#3 ·
seeing would tell me more.. but id always feel undergunned..if the anti gun folks,, ever succeed..
i cant imagine they would let this loop hole get by..
but they are not gonna succeed.. the laid back silent majority ,understands the significants of the coming elections..or they better..
at the range the other day i was listening to a fellow talk about how he wasnt gonna vote,, cause he didnt like any ofum..translation.... i never vote cause i never have even registered.
.voting is a[ paid for] right that
he doesnt deserve..sooner or later we may lose most of our individual rights,because of this attitude.jmo
 
#8 ·
I recently read an article about a .45 air rifle that will fire a 300 gr. bullet at velocities of up to 1000 fps. Knowing for a personal fact that a ,45 Colt pushing a 255 gr. swc at 900 fps will do quite well on deer, I'd have to say that's a serious deer-hunting proposition.
 
#12 ·
That wouldn't go over well in my state. We are more anti so-called BB guns (air rifles) then we are firearms. More municipal ordinances against air guns with few regulation of firearms other than Federal and state laws.
In fact my dad would not let me have a BB gun but bought me a single shot .22 which I still own!

Baron
 
#13 ·
Air Rifle For Deer?

I looked at several and decided on the one in 9mm because it had the best overall performance and could also use regular bullets! The 44 can shoot 185-200 grain cast bullets normally used in the 45 ACP, but the 50 caliber uses a very short bullet that I'd tend to think is just way too light for deer!
 
#14 ·
The Swiss army adopted an air rifle as their primary rifle back in the 1800's. But, they abandoned it when repeating rifles could out shoot them. They were competitive against muzzleloaders, tho.

Liberal timeline:

1 Make air rifles legal for hunting.
2 Ban propellant guns - they have no "sporting purpose" since air rifles are available.
3 Ban hunting.
4 Ban air rifles, since they have no further "sporting purpose"
5 Ban hunting knives.

:mad: :(
 
#17 ·
Quackenbush custom air rifles are frequently touted as top shelf. Long wait for a gun. Two VERY high powered shots per fill. Pricey.
I have had a .45 cal PCP rifle for a couple of years. It shoots the same slugs that I cast for my .45s. If your only experience with air guns is with .177s and .22s, these big bores are a step beyond - really not in the same class.
That being said, I'd think twice about using the one that I have for big game like deer. Could it work? For sure, yes but one has to pick the shot and the situation very carefully ( like all effective hunting).
The rifle that I have chrono'd a .45 cal round ball at 705 fps and a 200 grain .45 slug at 603 fps. The gun will give me five shots like that and still be half full.
The one advantage to an gun of this type is that one can have a fairly powerful gun and be independent of every thing else - as long as you can cast your own lead balls and bullets. NO primers, no powder, no brass (not as much power and range either). Oh, and...they are LOUD.
Pete
 
#18 ·
I agree Pete d.I have one that i have used for a couple yrs.I use it for culling crop damage control.Yep,its lode,but,so is a gun of any type used for hunting.Mine is the 45 cal,also.I have killed does out to 90 yds and have had complete pass throughs,4 of them,and two that hit the sholder bone,and found the slug,pellet in the hide on the far side.!!
Fellas please dont knock these air guns unless you have seen them do the job of killing,just like any other gun.They are legal for a reason.pan.;)
 
#20 ·
Wow...this thread came back to life after 18 months. Nice to see people still interested.

That's just being opinioniated and ignorant.
I'm not sure that is entirely so - at least not in a bad way. "Ignorant" may apply in the sense that many people are just not aware of the larger bore air guns and the pressures involved in loading and shooting them.
Y'know....we pretty much all grew up with BB guns and the image is iconic. So, I believe, that even when some one says that they have a .45 or .50 cal airgun, many folk still register "air gun" as "BB" gun or "pellet" gun.
In any case, even the gun that I have would cause me to have second thoughts about any larger game - though I know it can be done.
The Quackenbush guns are a whole 'nother shelf. A .458 bullet and 500 fpe for one.
http://www.quackenbushairguns.com/index.html
Pete
 
#21 ·
Now that I think about it, paint ball guns might make for good practice for stalking deer.
Of course the deer getting stung a few times would make a very causious critter out of him. And the fish and game folks would go crazy trying to figure out how the deer came to have dayglo orange spots on their butts.

Jim
 
#24 ·
NO Airguns

This is one of the stupidest ideas I've ever heard. There's not an airgun around IMO that will cleanly and humanely kill a deer. All this will do is cripple more deer and give the anti-hunters and the current administration more ammunition to stop all hunting. I'll never be convinced that an airgun will do that.
 
#25 ·
Airguns are somewhat like traditional RB muzzleloaders in that lethality comes with size. As an "extreme" example, some air cannons launch 10 pound projectiles at 1000fps and develope over 150,000 foot pounds of muzzle energy. Somewhere between the Daisy bb gun and "Second Ammendment" air cannon there is probably a practical and effective weapon for deer. JMO.
 
#27 ·
I'll never be convinced that an airgun will do that.
You are not alone in that point of view. I don't know how you feel about this one but - for comparison - there are frequent threads from shooters who for one reason or another want to hunt with their .45 Automatic. There are always posts from fellows who have done it and approve of the idea as practical (not me). If deer can be taken with a 1911, deer can certainly be taken with an airgun that shoots a bigger bullet with more energy.
And then there is bowhunting......lotsa deer get taken that way. How different is it than using a .45 or .50 cal bullet at similar range?
Again... I'm not an airgun hunter but I do own and shoot a big one and it is quite an experience.
Pete
 
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